The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed regret over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s ritual offering at the Yasukuni War Shrine, which is viewed as a symbol of Japan’s imperial past. The South Korean Yonhap News Agency quoted the ministry in a statement issued on Sunday, saying that Japanese officials’ offerings to the shrine or frequent visits cause deep disappointment and regret.
The ministry pointed out that this shrine glorifies the aggressive wars Japan waged in the past and houses the remains of war criminals. It called on Japanese leaders to clearly face history, reflect humbly, and express sincere remorse for their country’s past through actions, emphasizing that this constitutes an important foundation for building future relations between South Korea and Japan based on mutual trust between the two countries and their peoples.
Takaichi made the offering on Saturday, marking the start of the three-day autumn festival at the shrine, while the Japanese Kyodo News Agency reported that she does not intend to visit it in person during the festival. The Yasukuni Shrine honors approximately 2.46 million Japanese war dead, including 14 Class-A war criminals, in connection with their roles in World War II.
For its part, South Korea had previously urged Japan on August 16 to abandon its military past and face history frankly, in order to develop bilateral relations between the two countries. This came in reference to Japanese officials’ visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which Seoul sees as a symbol of Japan’s military past.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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